Dark ‘N’ Stormy

What a shrewd move by Gosling to have registered the name "Dark 'N' Stormy"... It forces anyone on American territory to use Gosling's black rum to be able to name the cocktail that way... And even beyond that, to scrupulously respect the recipe.

Let's say instead that they are very clever since the cocktail has always enjoyed a certain popularity, with a revival at the end of the 2000s. After all, 2 or 3 ingredients, easily found, make it a much more drinkable cocktail, even way better, than most Mojitos you can drink in France!

Besides, Gosling justifies having patented the recipe to prevent certain bartenders & brands that are a little too creative from killing it!

In short, the recipe is simple, why sulk your pleasure then? Simplicity is not the enemy of complexity!

The cocktail is there to enhance a good spirit, not to mask a bad one. If you read these articles and browse ExcellenceRhum to do your shopping there, you are probably convinced of the beauty of rum -and many other spirits as well-. You will therefore agree that it is not necessary to drown your rum under 10 additional ingredients, all more powerful than each other.

Let's go back to Dark N Stormy, which like Cuba libre will spice up your spring and summer holidays and weekends!

Note that the recipe dates from shortly after the First World War…

If on the Cuba Libre, not incorporating lime was a serious fault… on the Dark N Stormy it will depend on each one. You can find the details of the incidence of lime in this cocktail.

In short, if everyone knows what coke is, see our article on cuba libre, probably the name Ginger Beer will not ring a bell.

What is ginger beer?

It is a centuries-old naturally fermented ginger ale. In concrete terms, yeast is added to a mixture of water, crushed ginger or cut into small pieces and sugar. The yeasts will eat the sugar and transform it into CO2, the little bubbles in your perrier. The ginger will infuse in the water. It's very easy to do at home. Some do not even bother to let it ferment and prefer to make a ginger juice with a centrifuge or juice extractor and then cut this juice with sparkling water and sugar.

Recipe

6cl of Dark rum, here from Gosling’s, but we can go for funky Jamaican, Guyanese stuff…

9cl of ginger beer, if you take it pre-made, know that the amount of sugar varies according to the brand…

1.5 cl of squeezed lime juice. If your ginger beer is really very sweet, add 2cl of lime juice to counterbalance the sugar. Also #NoPulco!

Directly in the glass, with lots of big ice cubes!

Note, however, that the "original" recipe on the Gosling site uses a ratio of 1 to 3... 4.5 cl of rum for 12 to 15 cl of ginger beer, without lime.

For that original Dark N' Stormy made with Gosling's Black Seal

Review of this cocktail

We instantly find the notes of caramel, the “toffee” side, bitter and black coffee and cocoa. A well-made Dark N Stormy, which will please and refresh those new to this cocktail. Fans of powerful rums and the fire of ginger will certainly prefer a more punchy combo such as Jamaican/Luscombe Ginger Beer or Fever Tree. Or, they will make their own ginger beer with an extra dose of ginger! Fire in the hole!